This is a podcast of a half hour radio show on WHRW 90.5 FM, "Atheists at the Table". A panel of atheists and theists talk about their views on recent news items and age old issues. Listen, live, at whrwfm.org, on Wednesdays, 5:30-6:30 PM.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

First off, in a move to appease Islamic radicals, the president of Afganistan has essentially made rape legal. It negates the need for sexual consent inside of marriage, approves child marriage, and restricts a woman’s right to leave the home.

In the case of the Maryland mother who allowed her son to starve to death after a leader of her religious group determined that the boy was a demon due to his not saying “amen” after meals, the mother has pleaded guilty—with one catch. The charges are to be dropped against her once her son is resurrected, which she fully expect he will be. The DA was only too happy to agree to the terms. The defense will be represented by God. No, really. That’s the defending lawyer.

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Today, the Iowa Supreme Court unanimously rejected a state law that banned same-sex marriage. The decision will become effective in 21 days. Non-Iowan can seek a marriage license in the sate. Of course, not everyone was quite so happy. An ammendemnt is already being pushed trhough the state congress, but the Supreme Court has said it will not back down, saying that especially under Iowan law, same sex couples are severly hurt in tangible and intanglible ways when they are not allowed to get married.

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More Atheist ads from the Freedom From Religion Foundation have been rolled out on buses in Madison, Wisconsin. 50 buses in the city will hold the varying signs from the organization. The FFRF has also placed billboards in over 25 cities in at least 15 states.In response to the ads, a church put up ads that quoted the famous Psalm 14:1 verse “The fool has said in his heart, there is no god.” They seem to have forgotten Matthew 5:22 where Jesus himself says that whoever calls someone else a fool is in danger of hellfire. Guess they forgot that one in their rush to become a mass of puerile namecallers.